Area Description
Lancaster may be one of the most recognizable communities in the U.S. It has a distinct image as being a rural community with many Amish people living in the area nearby. It is an immensely popular tourism destination. Popularity of the rural character and the Amish culture combined with the proximity to the eastern metropolis has led to enormous growth. The true heritage of this community is almost lost because of the more visible and pervasive commercialism in the mainstream tourism industry.

Heritage Resources
This community is rich with heritage resources. The central market is one in which the community has the greatest pride and recommends highly to visitors. It is a market that has not been commercialized. Farmers still sell their goods there. The other resources in the downtown area include a museum, and a collection of urban architecture which is quite interesting and pleasant to look at. However, urban renewal has taken its toll on much of the downtown's integrity. Many structures do not complement the sense of place that visitors might expect.

How Visitors Interact with Resources
The interaction facilitated for visitors is relatively nonexistent, especially in terms of the downtown area. The Convention and Visitors Bureau operates its visitors' center on the outskirts of town, to the east. The signage into the downtown area is poor. The rapid growth on the strip to the east of the community compromises the sense of arrival for visitors.

Once in the downtown area, the resources are not easily identified. A walking tour is available, but it is difficult to locate. Without a walking tour or downtown guide, many resources are unidentified.

Visitor Experiences
Visitors' (heritage tourism) experiences in the community of Lancaster are nonexistent. If visitors do happen to find the central market, they can have a more varied experience. However, apart from that, the experience is essentially a visual one and one that is not fully interpreted for visitors.

Benefits
The community of Lancaster is an under-developed heritage tourism community in the benefits area as well. Visitors, the resources and the hosts do not get much in the way of benefits from the heritage visitors.

The visitors do not have many outlets to purchase indigenous crafts or have a fulfilling heritage experience. The heritage resources in the community have no formal mechanism for benefiting from any visitation. The hosts also get very little benefit from the visitation to the downtown area. The outlet malls and the strip lodging facilities do benefit from the tourism visitation, but the heritage aspects of the community are not benefiting at all.

Other Information
Even though this report lists Lancaster as an under-developed Heritage Tourism community, they are taking aggressive and comprehensive measures to capitalize on their heritage tourism potential.

A Heritage Tourism program is developing in the community and the county of Lancaster. It is a comprehensive partnership of the planning office, county-wide heritage resources and the Convention and Visitors Bureau. They have created heritage criteria which apply to resources, services and events. On a county-wide level, these heritage elements have been identified. Tour routes are being designed which will interpret and share these resources with visitors in an interesting and stimulating manner.

A staff member is being added to the Convention and Visitors Bureau to coordinate the many burgeoning heritage tourism activities.

Lessons to be Learned
Under-developed does not mean or imply a that there is not potential. Lancaster is demonstrating that a well-known tourism destination can still be under-developed in terms of heritage tourism and that it can still develop in ways to complement heritage tourism.

Contact
Director of Long Range Planning
50 North Duke Street
P.O. Box 83480
Lancaster, PA 17608-3480
Phone: 717-299-8333
Website: http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us
Fax: 717- 295-3659

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